Delhi, they say has a lot of history. From last Monday, it arguably has a little less. The tonga, which symbolised tradition on the roads of this 21st century capital of an emerging power, has been grounded. The municipal corporation made the decision pleading the need to ease traffic congestion Many say it is a moot point if Delhi's few hundred tongas crowded its roads unsustainably. More important, should heritage be sacrificed at the altar of convenience? Lessons from around the world and out of the box solutions:
Tonga Tours: How about weekend rides up and down Rajpath in order for tourists to experience the presidential grandeur of Lutyens' Delhi? Or from Red Fort all the way down to Chandni Chowk so that the magic and liveliness of the market can be seen up close, suggests photographer Raghu Rai.
The plight of the now unemployed tongawallahs spurred 15 year old animal lover, Bhamini Rautela Pahwa and four friends to start a signature campaign. The teenager says it is sacrilege that "Delhi's heritage can be lost. How can tongawallahs be allowed to lose their ancestral identity and the horses lose a home? MCD is planning for tomorrow, but at what cost? She suggests that Rai's heritage tonga tours should use the existing vehicles but ensure that they are refurbished and clean. "Educate the tongawallahs to act as tour guides; organizations like it and students can help them." says Tautela Pahwa.
Tonga tours would offer "tourists a spectacular view of the historic buildings at a wonderful pace than whizzing past them in a car or a bus", says conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah.
Some Indian cities have shown the way. Mumbai consultant Ameya Bundelly says the Victoria tongas that ply on Marine Drive and around the Gateway of India afford "sheer pleasure". It is, he says, an extraordinary luxury to be "driven along the sea in a horse-drawn carriage. It just has to transport you to another era".
In Kolkata too the Victoria tonga plies round and about the Victoria Memorial, a gentle, but thrilling reminder of the days of the Raj.
(b) Answer the following triefly in your own words
1. What did tonga symbolise in Delhi
2.Why did the Municipal Corporation decide to step the bongs on the capital road 121
3. What spuned Bhamini Rautela Pahwa und four friends to start a signature campaign?
4.How does Bhamini view the decision of the Delhi Municipal Corporation?
5.What is Ameya Bundelly's opinium on travelling in a horse-drawn carriage
driven along the sea?
6. In not more than 50 words, summarise the work of tongas in cities like Mumbai and Kolkata
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the tonga which is symbolized tradition on the roads of this 21st centuring capital of an emerging power has been grounded
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why did the municipal corporation decide to stop it on the capital roads ?
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